Many products have bodies or housings that are comprised of metal structural members. As only some examples, automobiles, trucks, and other motor vehicles, as well as some consumer appliances, have metal structural members that form their respective bodies or housings as parts of the frame, underbody, or other locations. The metal structural members add torsional strength, resistance to crash impacts, and other desirable characteristics. However, their beneficial characteristics are often not without trade-offs in the form of additional weight or cost of the overall product.
To offset some of these trade-offs, many products have bodies or housings formed with hollow cavities therein. As only some examples, some structural members of automobiles, trucks, and other motor vehicles have a variety of orifices, hollow posts, cavities, passages, and openings (collectively, “hollow cavities”) formed between inner and outer panels, in pillars, or within their frame members, that form their respective bodies or housings. Hollow cavities are often created in these products to reduce overall weight of the final product, as well as to reduce material costs. However, introduction of hollow cavities is itself often not without trade-offs. For example, introducing a hollow cavity may reduce the overall strength or energy-absorbing characteristics of a structural member. In addition, a hollow cavity may result in increased transmission of vibration or sound to other portions of the product.
It is known to use structural reinforcers as a complement or substitute for metal structural members to attempt to offset these and other tradeoffs. Some current reinforcers include an expansible material applied to a carrier, which typically is a molded component. The expansible material is expanded during the manufacture of the product, securing the reinforcer in place as the expanded material contacts the adjoining surface of the product. However, the expansible material in such reinforcers may not be securely joined to the carrier, leading to uneven or inadequate sealing. Moreover, expansion of the material may exacerbate the accumulation of fluids in the hollow cavity during production or ultimate use of the product, leading to corrosion or other undesirable effects. In addition, the structural reinforcer may not have features that permit ease and accuracy of use, especially in an automated assembly environment.
Thus, a significant need remains for an improved structural reinforcer that alleviates these and other drawbacks.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the drawings and the detailed description below.